Literary notes about surreptitious (AI summary)
Writers often employ the word "surreptitious" to imbue moments with a sense of secrecy or furtive intent, whether in subtle glances, covert actions, or hidden machinations. It is used to indicate actions that are intentionally concealed from public view, as when a character exchanges a discreet look [1, 2] or carries out a clandestine plan [3, 4]. In other instances, it paints scenes of eavesdropping and secret indulgences, highlighting behaviors that are quietly rebellious or forbidden [5, 6, 7]. From secretive interpersonal exchanges to covert political dealings [8, 9], the term enriches literary narratives by suggesting that beneath the visible surface lies a layer of hidden meaning and suppressed emotion.
- Mr. Dane Montague and his friend exchanged surreptitious glances.
— from Jacob's Ladder by E. Phillips (Edward Phillips) Oppenheim - Leslie cast a surreptitious glance at Bill, remembering his warning to Dalton.
— from The Secret of Steeple Rocks by Harriet Pyne Grove - It was another of my surreptitious schemes for extinguishing knighthood by making it grotesque and absurd.
— from A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain - The story of the first issue of 1601 is one of finesse, state diplomacy, and surreptitious printing.
— from 1601: Conversation as it was by the Social Fireside in the Time of the Tudors by Mark Twain - The mere thought of surreptitious listening in, of eavesdropping, of informing, reddened her face.
— from The Moonlit Way: A Novel by Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers - Tom’s chums crowded into his room, and that night there was an impromptu and surreptitious little spread, held there in violation of the school rules.
— from Tom Fairfield's Schooldays; or, The Chums of Elmwood Hall by Allen Chapman - His digestion was good, his spirits high, his love-making—on account of the public nature of the place—surreptitious yet fervent.
— from The Dwelling Place of Light — Complete by Winston Churchill - Because of the many surreptitious and anonymous printings it is exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, to compile a complete bibliography.
— from 1601: Conversation as it was by the Social Fireside in the Time of the Tudors by Mark Twain - He pretends to show the man some fancy work made by the inmates, all the while drawing him closer to my door, with surreptitious nods at me.
— from Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist by Alexander Berkman
